Chicago Artist Brings Resin and Reuse Art Inspired by the Great Lakes to California
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CHICAGO - illiNews -- Waveflowers, a mixed media art brand rooted in reuse, is currently exhibiting at Edgewater Gallery on Main Street in Fort Bragg, California throughout April.

In March, Blahut's 3D piece Watercolor Vista was previously featured in the gallery's Favorites juried exhibition. Following the success of that show, she joined Edgewater Gallery as a new and emerging guest artist for April. Several works are now on display through April 29.

Chicago-based artist Stephanie N. Blahut launched Waveflowers in 2025. Rooted in themes of renewal and resilience, her work captures the beauty of the Great Lakes and coastal waterways through pieces crafted from reclaimed and organic materials, including ceramic and glass fragments and other shoreline refuse. These elements are assembled and encased in resin, forming light-reactive sculptural and wall-mounted works.

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Each piece celebrates transformation by turning discarded materials into meaningful art that reflects both personal and environmental healing.

"The process of creating Waveflowers embodies self-care and mental clarity," said Blahut. "In a world saturated with overwhelming and often distorted information, beach cleanup becomes a mindful act. Even collecting a single fragment invites reflection—grounding you in the sensory experience and quiet beauty of nature."

Blahut's work has already gained recognition in the Chicago art community. In 2025, Waveflowers was previously juried into the Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival and the Millennium Park Holiday Market.

In addition to the Edgewater Gallery exhibition, Waveflowers will be featured at upcoming juried festivals this August, including the Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival (August 14–16) in Rogers Park and the Evanston Big Fork Art Festival (August 22–23) in Evanston.

Waveflowers represents more than visual art: it is a practice rooted in environmental consciousness and emotional renewal. Each piece begins with shoreline walks, where glass and natural fragments—shaped by water and time—are collected and reimagined.

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"Beachcombing supports both personal reflection and environmental restoration," Blahut added. "Rather than allowing these materials to remain as waste, I transform them—giving broken glass, ceramics, and found fragments new life as individual works of art."

The evolving Waveflowers portfolio can be viewed at www.mywaveflowers.com. Edgewater Gallery is located in Fort Bragg, California, and can be explored online at www.edgewater-gallery.com.

About Waveflowers:
Founded by Chicago artist Stephanie N. Blahut, Waveflowers is a resin and reuse art brand inspired by the Great Lakes. Each piece merges found materials, pigmented resin, and light-reactive design to explore transformation, resilience, and renewal. Waveflowers reflects a mission to repurpose discarded materials into meaningful, sustainable art that uplifts both people and the environment.